Typewriting machine



Mas, 1925.

y J. PHELPS TYPEWRITING MACHINE June 11, 1,923-

@7- E AT- TRNEY Patented May 5, 1925.`

1,536,452 `UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH PHELPS, OF NORTH CALDWELL,

NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO REMINGTON TYPEWRITER COMPANY, OF ILION, NEWYORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TYIEWRITING MACHINE.

Application led June 11, 1923. .Serial N'o. 644,571.`

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOSEPH PHELPS, citi- Zen of the United States, andresident of -North Caldwell, in the county of Essex and State of vblewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-`writing Machines, of which the following is a specification.` 1 i Myinvention relates to noise reducing mechanism for typewriting machines`and its chief object is to provide connections between the carriagemotor or spring drum and the driving shaft of the ribbon mechanism whichconnections reduce noise to a minimum and do away entirely with theclicking sound which is inherent in pawl and ratchetmechanism such ashas heretofore usually been employed to connect the ribbon feedingmechanism with the carriage spring drum. i Y

To the above and other ends which will hereinafter appear, my inventionconsists in the features of construction, combinations of devices andarrangements of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In carrying out my inventionin the pres ent instance I introduce betweenthe spring drum andthe beveled driving pinion which is concentric withit, a coiled spring so arranged as to provide a clutch connectionbetween said pinion and said spring drum when the latter is turning tomove the carriage in letter feeding direction, said coiled springreleasing so as automatically to disconnect the pinion from the drumwhen the latter turns oppositely during return movements of thecarriage. The spring clutch is closely wound so aspromptly to bind onand clutch the beveled pinion and through it the ribbon feeding devices,thus avoiding lost motion which would be harmful, as a plurality of typeimpressions might otherwise be made at the same point through theribbon, tending towear a hole in it. However, this close winding of theclutch spring might sometimes result in failure to release the pinionpromptly during the carriage return movements. and in order to insuresuch promptrelease, I prefas the return movement begins, thus preventingfriction or other accidental impulses from causing a back feeding of theribbon.

My invention will be more particularly described in connection with theaccompanying drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevationpartly in section showing a carriage with its motor or spring drumhaving my invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken 3 with the platen carriageof the machine as it travels back and forth across the top plate. Thecarriage may be the usual platen carriage of the Remington typewritingmachine comprising a truck and a platen frame shiftably supported on thetruck, of whichv the grooved rear bar 4L and one of the end bars 5 areillustrated. Fixed to the righthand rear corner of the carriage truck bya screwV 6 is a curved arm 7 terminating in a hook in which is connectedone end of a band or strap 8, the band running over the circular iiange9 of a spring drum 10 to which drum the end of the band 8 is con nectedat 11. The drum 9, 1() is vertically arranged and projects upwardthrough a slot indicated at l? in the top plate 1.- Dur'-Y ing travelingmovements of the carriage and turning movements of the drum the band 8winds on and oif the flange 9. The drum is rotatively supported on astub y,shaft 12l is secured a hook 16 which is engaged-by the inner endof a coiled main spring 17, the outer end of the main spring beingsecured at 18 to the spring drinn 10. A cover plate 19 protects the mainspring at the back. The shaft 12 is secured adjustably in its bracket orsupport by devices preferably like those disclosed in my co-pendingapplication, Sr. No. 573,526, said devices including a knurled thumbpiece 2O by which the position of the shaft may be adjusted and thetension of the main spring regulated. During movements of the carriageand back and forth rotary movements of the spring drum the shaft 12remains stationary.4 rThe carriage main spring or motor spring as willbe plain from Fig. 1 tends constantly to turn left'ward orcounter-clockwise, the force being transmitted to the drum 10 and fromit through the band 8 to the platen carriage, movement of the carriagebeing normally controlled by the escapement devices (not shown). Notonly does the spring drum or motor move the carriage leftward but italso feeds the ribbon and to this end there are provided a pair ofintermeshing beveled pinions 21, 22, the pinion 21 being mountedconcentrically with the spring drum in a novel manner presently to bedescribed and the pinion 22 being mounted on the` ribbon driving shaft28 which is arranged transversely of the machine and is adapted to beslid endwise back and forth to reverse the direction of the ribbon feedas is well understood. Said shaft and the pinion 22 slidably engage sothat the constant engagement between said pinion 22 and the pinion 21 isnot disturbed by the endwiseI sliding movements of the shaft. The rotarydriven member or pinion 21 is so connected with the rotary drivingmember, driver or spring drinn that as the latter turns leftward it willturn the pinion, said pinion transmitting its turning movements to thepinion 22 and to the ribbon shaft 23, the return movement of the springdrinn or driving member automatically7 breaking the connection with thedriven member or pinion 21 so that the ribbon feed is inoperative duringsuch return movements, rilhe pinion 21 is bored out or perforated asindicated at 24, leaving, however, a slight fiange or rib 25 at thefront end of the bore. The outer face of the pinion back of its beveledteeth 26 is formed with a circular seat or depression 2? providing asort of hub or binding` face. The pinion 21 fits over a cylindricalmember 28 which. has two connecting boresr 29' and 80, the bore 29fitting over the part 12a of the' shaft 12 and thebore 30 fitting overthe part 12b of said shaft. A pin 31 on vthe shaft fits in a hole 32 inthe member 28 so that said member is forced to turn with the shaft.Atits outer or front end the member 28 is formed with a depression 33which is engaged by the flange 25 of the pinion 21 serving as a bearingfor said pinion and assisting to maintain the bore 24 separated from theouter facey of the bearing member 28. A headed screw 34 is threaded intothe reduced end 12b of the shaft, the head of said screw preventingdisplacement both of the member 28 and the pinion 21. Fitting closely orsnugly over the seat or hub 27 is a coiled wire spring or clutch member35. One .end of said spring is free but the opposite end 35 is turnedoutward, passing through an opening in an annular housing 36 whichsurrounds and encloses the clutch spring 35. The `housing in addition toits annular portion 3G comprises ears 87 which are perforated to receivescrews 38 by which the housing is secured to the front face of the drum10. One of the ears in lieu of receiving a screw however is split asindicated at 39 to permit the annular part 36 to be readily contractedor ex panded. r1`he construction is such that `when the spring druml*turns towards the left it will act through the housing 86 on the outerend 35a of the spring 35 to cause it to bind or clutch the pinion 21,forcing the pinion to turn with the drum; but when re versed as thecarriage is restored from left to right, said drum acts through the housing 3G and end 85a of the spring to release the pinion 21 from theclutch.

In order to insure complete freedom of the pinion at this time, I preferto employ a second clutch member. This second clutch member is in theform of a. flat coiled spring 40 which surrounds the member 28, beingarranged in the space between said member and the bore 211 of the pinion21. Said spring 40 fits closely over the member 28 and its front end isbent outward as indicated at 10'd to engage in a fore-and-af! groove 11in the pinion 21, t-hus connecting the fiat clutch spring 40 with thepinion. The pinion as it turns to feed the ribbon acts on the end 40a toloosen the clutch f1.0 and render it inoperative; while when the reversemovement of the drum takes place, any tendency through binding orsticking of the main clutch 35 to turn the pinion 21 is prevented byreason of the spring clutch 40 gripping the outer face of the member 28.

It will be observed that when the spring drum turns leftward to advancethe carriage and feed the ribbon the hub 15 turns with it as does thehousing or annulus 36, the latter tightening the spring 35 on the hubportion of the beveled pinion 21 and forcing said pinion to turn withthe spring drum. This action of the pinion loosens thel inner clutchspring 1() which will rotate with the pinion 21, said spring 410 turningon the bearing member 28 which remains stationary asY does the shaft 12with which said member 28 is rigidly connected by the pin and slotconnection 31, 32. During return movements of the carriage, however, andconsequently reverse turning of the spring drum, the main clutch spring35 will be loosened, releasing the pinion 2l, and any tendency of saidpinion to turn, due to accidental impulses of friction or the like, willbe instantly transmitted to the clutch spring 40 which will bind on theperiphery of the co-operating clutch member 28, said member remainingstationary as before. The clutch devices are comparatively noiseless inoperation and no sound results during carriage return movements due tointeraction of the connections between the carriage motor and the ribbonmechanism.

Principles of my invention are applicable to other parts of typewritingmachines, and constructional changes may be made without departing frommy invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a rotary carriage motor,a rotary driven member having a hub, and a coiled spring clutchconnected at one end to said motor and surrounding said hub, said springclutch binding on said hub during rotary movements of said motor in onedirection and releasing said hub alnd said driven member during rotarymovements of said motor in the opposite direction.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combi- `nation of a rotary carriagemotor, a ribbon driving pinion provided with a hub, and a clutch springcloselv coiled about said hub and having one end connected to saidcarriage motor, said clutch spring binding on said hub during rotationof said motor in one direction only.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a carriage, a carriagespring drum connected thereto, a ribbon driving pinion provided with ahub, a clutch spring coiled around said hub and having one end connectedto said spring drum and the other end being free on the hub, said clutchspring binding on said hub when the spring drum turns to advance thecarriage in letter-feeding direction, said spring releasing said hubduring turning movements of said spring drum in the opposite direction.

4. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a rotary driver, arotary driven member, a clutch spring coiled about said driven member,and a housing secured to said driver and closely surrounding said clutchspring, said housing having a slitted portion so that it may be readilyexpanded and contracted.

5. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a carriage, a springdrum connected thereto, a ribbon driving shaft, connections between saidshaft and said spring drum comprising a pair of intermeshing beveledpinions, one of said pinions being provided with a hub, and a wirespring coiled around said hub and binding thereon during rotarymovements of said hub as the carriage travels in printing direction andthus serving to connect the pinion with the .spring drum, said springautomatically releasing said hub and said pinion during the returnmovements of said spring drum and said carriage.

6. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a rotary carriage motor,a rotary driven member, a relatively stationary bearing therefor, areleasable clutch between said motor and said driven member, and asecond releasable clutch between said driven member and its bearing.

7. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a driving member, adriven member, a support for said driven member, and a pair ofoppositely acting clutches one between the driving and driven membersand the other between the driven member and its support.

8. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a rotary driving member,a rotary driven member, a stationary bearing, and a pair of oppositelywound spring clutches, one connecting the driving and driven members andthe other between the driven member and the bearing.

9. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a driving member, arotary driven member provided with a perforation, a clutch springsurrounding said hub portion exteriorly and connecting said drivenmember with said driving member, and a second clutch spring arrangedinside said perforation and adapted to act oppositely from said firstrecited clutch spring.

10. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a carriage, a carriagemotor, a driven member. and a pair of spring clutches, one of saidclutches being connected to the other through said driven member.

11. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a carriage, a carriagespring drum, a coiled spring clutch having one end connected to saiddrum, a driven member on which said clutch operates, and means forpreventing said driven member from moving when released by said clutch.

Signed at the borough of Manhattan, city of New York, in the county ofNew York and State of New York, this 8th day of June, A. D. 1923.

JOSEPH PHELPS. Witnesses:

E. M. WELLS, CHARLES E. SMITH.

